Photo Album
by chuckolacola
Summary: Series of drabbles and oneshots set in or after the Paper Mario series. Includes multiple pairings, friendships and characters. Rating of each chapter varies.
1. On Cloudy Climb

**Summary:** Mario regales Lavalava Island's local children with a story about the Cloudy Climb. Set immediately after Flower Fields in PM64.

* * *

"Alright, alright, alright!"

Mario waved his hands to calm down the amused chatter of his audience of five young yoshies. It was a warm day as always on Lavalava Island, and Mario and his friends had come straight from Flower Fields for some "R and R," as Bombette called it, before continuing their search for the next Star Spirit.

The red capped hero was currently sitting in a circle with the "Fearsome Five," local troublemaking children. Goombario was sitting by as well, tired out after swimming with Kooper a bit too long and more than happy to help his brother figure and idol tell the story.

"I'm going to tell you about a place called Cloudy Climb now." Mario began, "Now, this is the place where we fought to save the Star Spirit from Flower Fields. It was not long after we met Spike..."

"Lakilester! Lakilester!" The children chanted immediately. The moment they had found out the rough and tumble lakitu's real name, they had taken to teasing him about it, whether he was within hearing range or not.

Mario chuckled and Goombario snickered quietly.

"G'wan Mario, tell them." He said, "All the details. I don't mind."

Mario smiled. "Anyway, Cloudy climb was up over a giant beantstalk and then some, right in the clouds like you expect. And, well, Goombario is scared of heights."

"Terrified." Goombario added. After knowing his sister for so long, he knew the best way to avoid a child's teasing was to be unashamed.

"Agreed." Said Mario, "Anyway, we're on our way up and Kooper slips."

"Oh, _that_." Goombario said in horror. "That was awful. He lost a boot."

"Exactly!" Mario began to laugh, "We're still within earshot of the ground, but we're real high up, see, and Kooper slips when one of his boots comes loose."

"It falls..." Goombario started,

"And a few feet down below us we hear the loudest, meanest sounding 'DAGNABBIT!' we've ever heard."

"It was Parakarry!" Goombario said joyfully, "HE caught the boot right in his face and shouted so loud that a bunch of ruff puffs came flying in and we had to fight them off while holding onto the beanstalk!"

Both goomba and plumber were giggling and in high spirits now, remembering hte bright bootprint on Parakarry's face, and how the Paratroopa had slowly flown up in front of Kooper after they were done fighting off the Ruff Puffs to lecture him in a low and threatening tone about tying his shoes properly. Kooper hadn't looked the older koopa in the eye for days afterwards.

It was just as they finished telling the story and had collapsed into a pile of giggling with the children that Kooper walked by.

"Hey," he said, "Have any of you seen my shoes?"

The laughter stopped immediately.

"I left them on the beach when I went swimming and they're gone now." Said the young koopa, adjusting his towel.

The laughter abruptly began again, twice as uproarious as before, as Parakarry hovered by with Kooper's boots in hand, a sinister grin on his face.

He stopped and winked, placed a shushing finger to his beak and moved on. Kooper was left to stare in confusion as Mario, Goombario and the Fearsome Five laughed themselves silly.


	2. Post-Dragon Pasta

**Bean:** Hullo everyone, and thanks for reading if you've gotten this far. I'd like to make a quick note- always feel free to leave a prompt as detailed as you like in your review (if you decide to leave one of those!). That's about all I have to say. Hope you enjoy!

**Summary:** Just after defeating Hooktail, Mario and company settle down at Koops' home for a good rest, where the timid Koopa prepares dinner, and where Koopley begins trying to readjust to life outside.

* * *

The kitchen smelled fantastic. Like turtley leaves, mushrooms, hot sauce and pasta. Mario and Bella had been on the road all week, and a little more since then, and they hadn't had a proper meal in some time.

Koops had offered to do the cooking, of course, being the gracious boy he was, and the goomba and plumber were relaxed in the living room with Koopley, who was gingerly situated on the edge of an easychair he used to love, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.

"You okay, sport?" Mario asked, his accent a muddle of Brooklyn and Italy.

Koopley nodded reluctantly. "I was gone a long time. Feels weird to be...not inside a digestive system."

"What you just _said_ is weird, boyo." Goombella piped up, "Being in the digestive system in the first place was weird, much less surviving there...never, _ever_ try to tell me how you did that, by the way."

Koopley managed a weak chuckle. After the events of that afternoon, he was worn out. The euphoria of escaping, and finding his son alive and well and grown up...that had worn off. He was ready to sleep for a hundred years.

"What's Koops making in there, does anyone know?" Mario asked, "Smells delicious."

"I think it's Koopasta Medley." Koopley murmured, "An old recipe of my mother's. Never expected any son of mine to be a good cook...mostly because I can barely slice bread."

That said, Koops poked his head out of the kitchen. "Dinner's ready, everyone. Koopasta Medley and fruit parfait for dessert. And, of course, slice bread."

He winked at his dad, a wide grin on his face. Where Koopley was worn out, Koops was energized from having his father back and doing something...making something of himself, as he saw it.

They sat down to eat in front of the television, nobody quite up to polite dinner conversation. Plates clinked against forks- Koopley struggled to hold his until Koops reminded him how- and the murmur of Chuck Quizmo's game show was in the background.

At one point, Koopley's fork clattered to the floor. As he bent to pick it up he spilled his drink. Frustrated, he slammed his plastic plate on the coffee table and sighed.

Koops bent down to pick up the fork. "Don't worry dad, you'll get used to it again...it's okay. Goombella, could you get under the sink for the carpet cleaner and some rags?"

Winking in response, Goombella got up from her seat and disappeared briefly into the kitchen, coming up to clean up the juice that was beginning to stain the carpet.

Once the mess was clean and dinner was over, Mario had a thought and brought it up as carefully he could, hoping it wasn't too soon or too brazen.

"Koops," he began, "Are you going to stay in Petalburg Village?"

Koops blinked. They were in the kitchen and he was washing dishes, a plate in one hand and a bright pink scrubber in the other. He mouthed silently for a few minutes, and then...

"You'll be leaving...right. You don't want me to come with you, do you?"

Mario brought his hands up defensively, eyes widening. Goombella, standing on a stool and drying the dishes Koops cleaned, snorted.

"That's not what he's saying, you dope. He wants to know what _you want to do_. Stay home and help your dad, or come with us and save the world."

Koops mouthed some more.

"You know, fight more dragons, beat up bad guys, retrieve Crystal Stars?" Goombella rolled her eyes, "The whole troubled adventurer schtick. I don't know if you're cut out for it, even after the whole Hooktail thing, but..."

"I want to come!" Koops piped up, "...I want to come with you."

Mario smiled in pleasant surprise. He didn't want to tear Koops away from his father just after they had been reunited, but the young Koopa had more than proved himself valuable in the trek through the castle to fight Hooktail, despite his timid nature. If he wanted anyone else on his 'party,' it was this kid.

"That's good to hear." said the heroic plumber.

Koops grinned. "I mean, I want to come with you. But let me talk to my dad about it first. I want to make sure he and mom will be okay without me. I've...kind of gotten used to taking care of things around here."

Goombella smiled and put another plate away. Mario patted Koops shoulder and nodded in understanding.

The next morning, the koopa's mother handed them all sack lunches as they set out.


End file.
